La Taberna Tapatia

Clubby offshoot of El Tapatio, just across the street from the original.

Restaurant Details

Offshoot of the long-standing traditional Mexican restaurant El Tapatio. The room is lively and appealing, with walls painted in hues of red and Latin music played at club volumes; a DJ spins on weekend nights. All dishes are botanitas (tapas-style small plates), making this a good spot for a reasonably priced light dinner or late-night snack -- the kitchen stays open till midnight. A tasty trio of sopes (small masa cups) comes filled with huitlacoche (a mushroomlike fungus), shredded chicken, and a potato-chorizo mixture, while the portobello is marinated with guajillo peppers, charbroiled, and served with a side of caramelized onions. Homemade tamales are filled with chihuahua cheese and poblano peppers and served with salsa verde. The perfect accompaniment to the spicy fare is a frosty shaken Taberna margarita, made with Herradura Silver tequila. And the desserts are tantalizing, from the guava-stuffed empanada to the bunuelos rellenos -- flour tortillas oozing with caramel and peaches.